1. Sustainable Trail Building Techniques for Mountain Bike Trails

2. The Half Rule Ensure the grade of the trail doesn’t exceed half the side slope. Otherwise water will flow down the trail and not across it resulting in erosion.Water is the enemy of all trails

3. The 10% Grade Average An average grade for the trail of below 10% is the most sustainable.This may not be achievable throughout the trail but it is important to use this as the baseline for construction

4. Grade Reversal Periodic Grade reversals ensure that water is not trapped on the trail and flows slowly of the edge and not down the fall-line

5. Outslope An outsloped trails ensures that the water drains gently in a non erosive manner via “ sheet flow”

6. Knicks Like grade reversals and de-berming trails these allow water to escape slowly from the side of the trail. These can add in a trail feature for riders

7. Rolling Grade Dips These are larger features than Knicks and provide consistent drainage on up slopes and climbs

8. Climbing Turns These allow controlled climbs on steep slopes without the erosion associated with a direct climb

9. Rolling Crown Switch Back This requires a more advanced approach by using retaining walls but allows sustainable construction in upland situations where high rainfall is present

10. Insloped Turns These are excellent for descents where you want retain flow and fun without causing braking. Grade reversals and a semi- banked turns help to reduce erosion via sheet flow.